Palesa and Gracie had been best friends since they were three years old. They lived next door to each other, and their mothers were friends too. They were born a month apart and were raised like sisters. They did everything together. They went to the same school and always ended up in the same class! Then one day, when the girls were a bit older, something happened that made them very sad. Gracie arrived at Palesa’s house in tears. “What’s wrong?” Palesa asked, very worried about her friend.

“My dad got a job in another city, and my family has to move,” Gracie said through her tears. The two girls cried their hearts out. “Mama, can Gracie please stay with us?” Palesa begged her mom. “Mama, can Palesa please go with us?” Gracie begged her mom. But, sadly, this was not possible because the girls each had to stay with their own family.

The day before Gracie’s family left, Palesa thought of a special gift for her friend. It was the charm bracelet her grandmother had given her years ago. The woman who had sold the bracelet to her grandmother had said that she had made only two of this kind. One bracelet had a sun charm, and the other one had a moon charm. Palesa’s grandmother had chosen the sun for Palesa. “You are the light of our lives,” she had said when she gave Palesa the bracelet.

When Palesa’s grandmother passed away, Palesa always felt her grandmother’s love when she wore the bracelet. It was very special to her. “I want Gracie to have this bracelet,” Palesa whispered to herself. “It will remind her that we will always be best friends.” Gracie moved to her new school, but she missed her friend very much. The two girls wrote to each other every chance they got.

One day, Palesa received a package in the mail. It was from Gracie. “I wonder what’s inside,” Palesa said as her mom handed it to her.

“Open it!” Mama smiled. To Palesa’s surprise, she found a bracelet just like the one she had given Gracie inside the package. “Why did Gracie send my bracelet back?” Palesa asked, feeling worried and a bit sad. But when Palesa looked at the bracelet more carefully, she saw that this one had a moon charm. “This is the other bracelet Granny told me about!” Palesa said with a big smile. Then she also found a note from Gracie. Gracie wrote: I found this bracelet in our new home. I tried to return it to the owner, but she said I could have it as a gift. I am sending it to you to remind you that we will always be best friends. “What a magical coincidence,” Palesa said, as she put on the bracelet.

Palesa knew it was a sign that the two friends would always stay friends, no matter how far away they lived from each other. They were like the sun and moon, each giving light in its own unique way.

Get story active!

•  Do you have a best friend? What do you like about your best friend?
• Draw a picture of you and your best friend doing your favourite activity
• Write and decorate a letter saying how much you appreciate your best friend. You can start your letter by saying, “Dear Jabu, thank you for being my friend. I appreciate you because …